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Johnson, Marsden and Jacobson also return to winning ways at Ontario Co. Fairgrounds
Canandaigua, NY – June 16, 2012 – As the summer race season crept closer at the Ontario County Fairgrounds, all-time Canandaigua Motorsports Park divisional winners Paul Guererri and Marc Minutolo stayed hot Saturday on Phelps Cement Products-Charlie's Restaurant Nite.
So did Danny Johnson, Russ Marsden and Andrew Jacobson as they returned to victory lane on another heated night in the heart of New York's Finger Lakes region.
 Guererri dominated the Safety Awareness Solutions Sportsman feature to post his third victory while Minutolo added win number four in the Pure Stock portion of the five-star show in wine country. Johnson also netted his fourth Original Pizza Logs Big-Block Modified feature win of 2012, Marsden registered a track-best sixth victory in Parts Plus Street Stock action and Jacobson triumphed for the second time in the New Legends Sportsman finale.
The teams of Big-Block Modified racers Dave Allen (#88), Chad Homan (#91) and Henry Maier (#3m) participated in a special Pit Stop Challenge on the home stretch during intermission. With each driver downing a hot dog before their squad went to work, Homan's crew changed a right tire in a total time of 1 min., 45 sec. to come out on top in the contest. Maier's men (1 min., 55 sec.) were credited with second with Allen's assemblage (2 min., 4 sec.) settling for third.
When the Sportsman contingent took center stage, Guererri once again showcased his new Troyer car as the Geneva driver charged from 16th to first in just eight laps and outdistanced Kevin Ridley for his 30th career win at the hallowed half-miler.
“This car is absolutely awesome,” beamed Guererri, after reaching the landmark figure steering his no. 7 Proctor Roofing-Al Raymond Collision-Pizza Logs/Troyer entry. “Have to thank Billy Colton at Troyer's and my brother for setting up this car every week.”
Guererri advanced quickly at the start of the 25-lap main event after Loren Lincoln got turned around in a mid-pack scuffle that collected Justin Henderson and Canadian chauffeur A.J. Lewis. Pole-sitter Tom Keyes lost the lead to Stu Sheppard on the lap two restart and after just five times around Guererri had already cracked the front-five.
Frank 'Bubba' Burnell took over the top spot on lap seven moving high around Sheppard in turn three, then in a daring three-wide maneuver on the next circuit Guererri threaded his way into first just as rookie Kris VanNorstrand spun around high between turns one and two.
Despite the third and final yellow flag flying with five to go when John Wilber lost a left-front wheel and collected Lincoln in the front-stretch skirmish, Guererri sustained his superiority as he pulled away for a 10 car-length victory. Ridley held off points leader Dan Wiesner for third while Dave Marcuccilli and Burnell crossed the line next.
“We had a little meeting after the heat, discussed some things and the changes we made turned out to be for the good,” said Guererri, who improved to fourth on the points chart after matching Wiesner with his third checkered flag. “I started passing cars on the bottom where it stuck like glue and said to myself I don't really want to go to the top. Knew the car would work up there but until somebody moved high I was staying right down low the rest of the way.”
Minutolo also found the track conditions to his liking, blasting from seventh to first in just two laps en route to a decisive straightaway victory in the 15-lap Pure Stock race.
“I always get through the turns good on a dry slick track, that's the secret and that's why I loving racing on a track like this,” remarked Minutolo, after the Newark pilot logged his 29th win in Canandaigua's entry level full-fender division. “There's always a lot of bite everywhere else so the deciding factor is how well you do handling the turns. We were right on tonight.”
Dave Bush led only the first time around in the 12-lap headliner before Minutolo stormed ahead in his no. 25B Butch's Body Shop-Big Mike's Auto Chevrolet Camaro. Points leader Vance Vanderwall was never able to muster a serious threat in the caution-free feature, securing second ahead of Roger Bush, last week's winner Eric Chapman and Rod Comfort.
“This is an early Father's Day present for my dad. Virginia Beach was nice but I didn't have my fix of dirt in my lungs so its good to be back,” added Minutolo, who missed last week's event after vacationing down south and made it back just in time Saturday to finish third in the qualifying heat. “I missed hot laps so (Mike, father) had to warm up the car tonight. He said I don't know how you drive this car, apparently something's going right for me.”
After opening the season in April with a commanding victory in the Super DIRTcar Series shootout, Johnson has been right on track aboard the no. 27J Page Trucking-Honeoye Auto Parts-Waste Management/Bicknell mount.
“Its great to be racing near your hometown and be able to win in front of friends and family,” noted Johnson, on the heels of his 76th career feature win at the storied Routes 5& 20 oval. “There's just no better feeling than being here in victory lane.”
Still looking to add his own name to the 'Land of Legends' all-time winner's list, Dave Rauscher ran his strongest race of the season after leading the opening eight circuits in the 35-lap Modified main. Vince Vitale held the point until Watertown warrior Billy Dunn ducked underneath to complete lap 20, but it was all for naught as 16th-place starter Johnson slid past to forge the final lead change with 10 laps left.
“The car must've have been pretty good to get that far,” figured Johnson, who stands fourth on Canandaigua's Big-Block win chart while older brother Alan Johnson ---netted his 10th straight Top-10 finish--- remains on top with 114 checkered flags. “We had a new (Morrison) powerplant under the hood tonight and It got really hot.”
“We had a really good restart (lap 8), got a bunch of guys there and that really made the difference,” said Johnson, who was ultimately docked points and money following a post-race video review that revealed the eventual winner getting an early jump. “Can't thank all the guys enough for working so hard during the week. Everybody from the motor builder, chassis guys and all of our sponsors, I really appreciate every one of them.”
Jimmy Phelps ended his late-race rally in third behind Dunn while Rauscher held off points leader Matt Sheppard ---34 ahead of Johnson--- to complete the Top-5.
Marsden continued to give thanks to owner Pat Flack and Marty Patchen as their no. 28 Flack’s Hi-Rise Concrete Restoration-Coatings Plus/Chevrolet Impala ride was the class of the Street Stock for the sixth time in 2012.
“This win is dedicated to the son of one of our crewman who was hurt in a car accident,' said Marsden, who now trails race runner-up Mike Welch by just four points after 10 events. “He's getting better every day so this one goes out to him.”
Jack Terrell out-dueled front row partner Pat Hobbs to lead the first time around in the 15-lap full-fender feature. Hungry for his first-ever win at CMP, Nate Daggett moved into second before looping in turns three and four and collecting Hobbs to require the lone yellow flag. Welch was sent to the rear for his part in the three-wide mishap with Daggett which also involved Adam DePuy.
The lap five restart was all that Marsden needed as the Mexico, NY driver bolted from third to first and never looked back. Welch tried to get his attention, rocketing into second after splitting frontrunners Terrell and DePuy on lap seven, yet fell four car-lengths short in his bid. DePuy finished third ahead of Blane Smith and Ron Hawker making his 2012 track debut.
Pole winner Jacobson survived a wild opening lap with fellow front row starter Heinrich Kirschner, who grazed the front straight wall coming out of turn four, before holding off former teammate Billy Brown in the 10-lap Legends Sportsman race.
“I always like racing against Billy, it goes back to when I was 4 years old. So anytime I can stick it to him … he stole a win and I'm still a little bitter,” divulged Jacobson in a half-joking manner, after slamming the door on his rival when Brown moved high to go around as the lead pair exited turn four on the final circuit.
“I took a big hit a couple weeks back and didn't want to tell the ambulance people that I wasn't seeing straight. We got a lot of work done in the last few days, had to put the whole right side of the car on and did a lot of welding on the front end. Tonight we even tuned the carburetor a little and it seemed to make a heck of a big difference,” added Jacobson, following his return to the winner's circle in his no. 16J Gorham Market-Grassman Landscaping/TEO machine.
With Canandaigua native and Rochester resident Jacobson and Brown heading the 11-car field throughout, third-place runner Daryl Nutting slammed the turn two outside cement wall with just one lap to go. Frank Guererri Jr. filled the void for the final restart and remained there ahead of Phil Vigneri III and Jason Scales to round out the Top-5.
Castner Performance 305 Sprints return for their third and final appearance of the month at Canandaigua Motorsports Park and are joined by a five-division program of Original Pizza Logs Big-Block Modified, Safety Awareness Solutions Sportsman, Parts Plus Street Stock, Pure Stock and New Legends Sportsman action on Saturday, June 23. Pit gates unlock at 4pm, grandstands open at 5pm and the first qualifying heat goes green at 7pm.
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